RECAP: More student accommodation, apart-hotels, and the fate of the Jenny Wren pub discussed

Designers have proposed a modernist art-deco design for the new building on Campkin Road

Hello there - thanks for joining us as we hunker down among sheaves of notes and planning documents to hopefully get a peek of how our city could look in the future.

On today's agenda - we'll be looking at planning applications for new purpose-built student accommodation in Chesterton Road - an apart hotel in Milton Road, and plans to turn Cambridge pub, the Jenny Wren, into flats.

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Some of these plans are contentious issues, and it is important for the committee to get them right. A lot is riding on the shoulders of delegates. Stick with us, reader, and we'll keep you up to date with every step of the deliberations.

Vote on Jenny Wren plans. New flats scheme approved. 'Wouldn't have been built in Newnham' laments Cllr Price

Votes are in

...

6 for

2 against

Application is approved. “It wouldn’t have been built in Newnham” says Cllr Kevin Price as he leaves the table.

15:24

Not a brilliant scheme - voting for it anyway?

Cllr John Hipkin

I think one has to rely on a degree of consumer choice. It will be well known to anyone seeking to move in that it is above a pub, and it is extremely small. But it is also reasonably cheap. I don’t know whether that view is acceptable in planning terms, but it is on my mind. With a heavy heart, because I don’t think it is a brilliant scheme, I will vote for it and hope the residents will be happy living there.

Cllr Martin Smart says the committee has a responsibility to stand up for residents - is the committee upholding that? Cllr Kevin Price seems restless...?

15:20

'Great family pub' lost?

Cllr Smart fears there will be no pub at all. Says it used to be a “really nice family pub”. Not a nice building, but says it was full of lovely people. Says there is a space the developers “might” use as a pub, but no guarantee. Milton brewery had been the headline group billed to take over. Cllr Smart says he understands they are not interested - as it’s not “viable”.

It’s a great shame that will be lost to the community. In other parts of the city rich people would have bought it up and used it as a community pub, but not in King’s Hedges.

15:17

Will people be aware they live above a pub?

Planning exec Cllr Kevin Blencowe hopes people renting are aware they are living above a pub. Says you can never be sure with “some of the blurbs and what have you”.

But we’ve seen some good examples of how pubs have come back. The Royal Standard is a good example. In terms of the design, I know they’re going for an art deco style, we’ll have to see if it works or not.

Pub would be welcomed back?

Developer’s agent says pub will be reinstated, and that has been welcomed by residents. They say pub will serve local community, and many people would arrive on foot or by bike.

15:05KEY EVENT

30 / 40 sq m flats blasted as 'shoeboxes'

Cllr Price:

As the executive councillor for housing, I know these are not homes, they are just square shoeboxes. There is little room for even additional storage. These units are low quality and poorly designed and will not provide a good environment for future residents. If you support this, you will be doing more than just ticking boxes, you will be creating them and allowing people to live in them.

15:00

Cllr Kevin Price speaks on behalf of a resident who lives nearby

Cllr Kevin Price

Her major concerns and fears are the height of the building and the number of windows that look over her property will affect the privacy she currently enjoys. She also thinks there could be unknown numbers of extra cars there that could park in nearby streets, particularly infront of her house.

14:59

Potential lay outs for the interior of the new Jenny Wren

How the interior could be laid out

14:58KEY EVENT

How the Jenny Wren pub could look

How the Jenny Wren could look

14:54

Jenny Wren demolition and flats plan up now

Here it comes ...

14:10

Voting underway ...

...

Application has been refused.

13:55

It could work? Don't demonise apart-hotels

Cllr Damien Tunnacliffee

I think the apart hotel in this location is bound to help the area. There are pubs that would benefit. I think we should be more measured. I stayed in an apart hotel that doubles up as student accommodation. It seems to work very smoothly. I don’t think we should demonise apart-hotels.

13:50

Against the grain

Planning executive Cllr Kevin Blencowe says change of use would “go against the grain” of what the council is trying to achieve.

13:48

Developers 'can't be trusted'

Ward councillor Mike Sargeant

It is likely to impose additional parking demands on nearby streets. 50 per cent of parking spaces in Corona Road could be lost . If people are going to be staying there for nearly 90 days, there is a fair chance they won’t be staying just in the city centre but will be trying to access other places for work. They will probably need cars and parking spaces. Turning to the issue of student accommodation, they should be observing the need for student accommodation and there is no evidence that need is not required. The applicant cannot be trusted in any way that they will not stick to conditions. They advertised the accommodation on line and the first guests were in before even the first students. When challenged, they slapped in a planning application. There’s nothing to reassure residents. I would urge you to carry on rejecting this application.

13:43

Problems with apart hotel

Cllr Hipkin - supply of student accommodation is being reduced, service provision is inadequate and car parking fears for apart-hotel

13:39

Block B could be an apart hotel to accommodate "fluctuations" in student demand

13:38

"Beneficial" to incorporate hotel element

Committee hears that Student Castle has found it beneficial in York and Bath to incorporate a hotel element in accommodation.

It is compatible with future use of building, says developer’s agent. Whether it’s occupied by students or being used as a hotel makes little difference to services

13:35

No disabled parking

Caroline Stephenson

The Student Castle say there is currently insufficient need for their student accommodation, but a look at their website shows there is still lots of demand. The original plans allowed for three disabled parking spaces. The committee have been provided with a series of photos from local residents showing these have not been painted properly and are currently in use as able-bodied parking. There is no disabled parking currently.

13:32KEY EVENT

Student Castle apart-hotel up now

Full Public gallery

12:49

AMBUSH!

Oh no! We had thought we’d be out to lunch until 1pm, but we’re back on now. This has caught several councillors (and myself) on the hop. The committee’s table looks more like a picnic bench.

Chairman Cllr John Hipkin smiles, saying we can multi task, and eat while listening and discussing.

I’m not sure how I can type while eating this enormous Scooby-Doo style sandwich though.

12:24KEY EVENT

St Regis House plans. Vote: Recommendation for approval

...Here comes the vote

6 in favour

1 against

Chair John Hipkin abstains

- plans for university accommodation approved

12:20

...A brief discussion of Cllr Sarris' remarks

Cllr martin Smart: “What about nurses and other support staff?”

Cllr Hipkin: “... Is this a theological question or something germane to the application.”

Cllr Blencowe: “We don’t know, chair...”

12:15

Do academics need more help finding accommodation? Are they being priced out?

Cllr Peter Sarris

Although people get worked up about this, very few students drive. Very few students can afford to drive, and driving in Cambridge is not very pleasant anyway. I think the tone is regrettable. In the context of Cambridge, university staff are key workers - key workers who are being priced out of the city. This committee needs to get in its head that housing academic staff is important for allowing colleges to compete and draw decent academics.

12:10

Less control over post grad students?

Planning executive Cllr Kevin Blencowe

The current building is obviously outdated and needs to be redeveloped. I think landscaping will help the design. I think there is an onus for us to look at this closely though. My understanding is that there may be more control on undergraduate students, but there is a far more relaxed control on post graduates and those with special dispensation.

11:46

What about the history of building to be demolished? What about open spaces?

I wonder whether there’s enough space for 104 residents. I can’t see where they will be able to sit out and enjoy open space and civilised contact with each other.

11:42

Landscaping - get some trees in!

Cllr Tunnacliffe wants a strong assurance that there will be decent landscaping to screen development

I do think Chesterton Road needs more trees and it is of a width to accommodate that. It’s a bit of a hobby horse of mine to make the area greener.

11:40

Building is UGLY?

Cllr Damien Tunnacliffe

I did a little straw poll of local residents asking them in a neutral way about the building as it is. Some just laughed - others sa id it was the ugliest building in the street. I don’t think it enhances the street.

11:38

Is the university trying to weasel out of providing affordable housing in development?

Cllr Martin Smart

If I was a teacher, I’d say ‘can do better’. We know Cambridge University can do better than this. I am perplexed by the intricacies of how this project seeks to get round providing affordable housing. It starts off being for students, but turns out to be for academics.

11:34

Parking an issue: Students are "squirreling" their cars away in local residential streets

Cllr Mike Sargeant

I see it as a backward step for the area and not an enhancement. It doesn’t reflect the characteristics of the area. The report says the scale and massing is similar to existing building, but this is obviously not true in Chesterton Road. Another point is access on Chesterton Road. Currently there is good access for dropping off students. New proposals suggest a narrow access that won’t encourage off-road parking. We’ll get a similar situation as in the Student Castle where taxis pull up on the pavement or in the cycle lane. There is evidence that students are parking in local streets. The best attempts by Clare College won’t stop students bringing cars and squirreling them away in local streets and coming back to them sometimes after weeks on end. There are also proposals for academics on site. It’s a fair bet they will have cars. Conference delegates will also be there. We see a drip drip effect on parking.

11:28

Useful life of buildings

Agent for the developers says current buildings have reached the end of their useful life.